


Star-Crossed Lover

by lonelygirleatsshawarma



Category: Captain America, Iron Man - Fandom, Marcel Cinematic Universe - Fandom, The Avengers (MARVEL) - Fandom
Genre: Avengers Infinity War divergence, Canon Divergence, F/M, Female Tony Stark, Post-Avengers Infinity War (movie), character gender bent, female Toni Stark, please excuse me, the freaking story of flip phone, unbeta with grammar and tenses error, with mild to moderate spoilers of MCU movies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 19:59:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15670260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelygirleatsshawarma/pseuds/lonelygirleatsshawarma
Summary: “I tried to hate you, to forgive you, just to forget you, but I’m only capable of loving you. You’re tattooed onto my skin, and the more I tried to erase you, the deeper you sinked.”





	Star-Crossed Lover

_Night time._

He used to enjoy the rare peaceful night in Avengers Tower’s rooftop. He’d propped himself on the covered wooden bench armed with a mug of hot chocolate and the Stark tablet on his lap with the countless stars and bright moon above him. He’d read the different books in his tablet, books that Nat or Pepper recommended.

Sometimes he would do it alone, but there were times that Toni would join him.

Antonia “Toni” Stark, their benefactor and a consultant for Avenger Initiative.

Steve and Toni were like oil and water, and despite their perfect synchronisation in the battle field, outside of it, however, they’d argue relentlessly. Toni would throw sarcastic words in and Steve would take her bait (hook, line and sinker) almost all the time. They argued too much that their team would blatantly ignored their bickering most of the times. Clint once said that they argue like how a married couple would, which Steve would answer a flustered response while Toni would only scoff and walked away.

The only moment Steve had enjoyed peaceful time in the same room as Toni was the rare times they’re together at the rooftop. It started when Toni woke up from one of her nightmares and stumbled upon Steve at the outer space of the tower, reading Romeo & Juliet book using his tablet. The blonde captain was startled at first when Toni nonchalantly occupied the space next to him.

He bit his tongue for snarky remarks when he took noticed the slight trembling of the Toni’s body. Steve offered no words to consult her, and it seems that Toni didn’t need it as well; she was only seeking for a quiet company to chase away the sadness and fear brought by her nightmares. Steve had to carry Toni back to her room when she had fallen asleep on his shoulder after a little while.

This had been repeated many times after that incident, and soon after, Toni would sought Steve’s company even without the ‘nightmares’ as an excuse. Then Steve would sometimes invite her openly and Toni would only shrug but accepted it.

They still fight, because they wouldn't be Steve and Toni if they didn't —once upon a time, Clint referred them as the _‘Daddy and Mommy’_ of their dysfunctional, mismatched _family_ , although the team noticed that the past few times they’d argue it was out of habit, not out of displeasure from each other’s opinion— but aside from their routine bickering, spending hours underneath the starry night has been a second nature in their love-hate ‘relationship’.

Love-hate relationship.

Steve smiled wryly.

Yeah, that’s the perfect definition of his relationship with Toni. At first, he didn’t like Toni’s devil-may-care personality. He didn’t like her lack to follow orders or commands. He didn’t like her careless actions. But what he didn’t know is that there would be a day he’d come to love Toni’s imperfections, and to even discover the ‘true’ Toni underneath her peevish facades. At some point of his life as an Avenger, Steve had fallen, head-over-heels, in love with their resident genius-billionaire-playgirl-philanthropist, but he couldn’t pin-point _when_ exactly.

Maybe that time when Toni selflessly tried to sacrifice her life to during the battle in New York.

Or the time when she babbled on and on about her ideas to change the future for the better.

Or the time he spent hours howled up in Toni’s shop, watching her in fascination as she built different machines, contraptions and things that would improve humanity’s lives.

Or the time she scolded him and called him _‘an idiotic tri-coloured, star spangled, century old captain with an unhealthy habit of leaping from a moving helicopter without a parachute’_ ; he was pretty sure Clint turned blue from laughing too much. He knew he was supposed to be insulted or to feel anything but this unexplainable... happiness. On the contrary, when Toni’s eyes glinted in an unmasked worry for his well-being, he could feel the tug on his lips and the warmth radiating through his chest. Toni rolled her eyes in annoyance and walked out, Steve was quick to follow her, ignoring the mumbles words of Natasha that sounded like ‘married couple’.

Everything was going okay, at least for him, until Ultron happened and then the so-called Civil War. To make the matter worse, the whole debacle in Siberia happened, soon after.

And then, his non-existing relationship with Toni ended.

Both of them are to be blamed, miscommunication happened, and Steve knew he fucked up _big time_. There is not a single day where Steve wondered if only he’d done things in different way. If only he’d chosen the other path. The happiness of reuniting with his best friend was a mere consolation to everything that had happened, but it didn’t stop the ‘what if’s’, though.

_Didn’t stop his heart from breaking._

The shrill cry of the flip phone beside him permeated through the quiet solace of the cabin that King T’Challa graciously presented to the ‘rogue’ avengers as their temporary home.

Steve stared in disbelief at the ringing contraption.

_Incoming call..._

_Toni Stark_

With a shaking hand Steve clicked the answer button and pressed the phone against his ear. His heart pounded at anticipation and excitement to hear the voice of the woman who owns his heart.

“Steve?”

_‘Toni...’_

Steve’s breathing hitched at the familiar soft voice of Toni from the other end of the line. The enticing image of Toni, her curly black hair brushing the softness of her cheeks, brought his heart to pound faster.

“Oy, you _‘idiotic tri-coloured, star spangled, century old captain with an unhealthy habit of leaping from a moving helicopter without a parachute’_ , are you there?” Toni said teasingly, ending her jokes with a soft chuckle.

Two years.

It has been two years since the last time he has heard Toni’s voice. The emotions welling out of him were too overwhelming.

”Steve?”

“Yeah, I’m still here,” Steve grumbled despite the trembling of his voice. “I just wasn’t expecting to receive a call from you, is all.”

Toni snorted. “Then what’s the point of giving me a phone if I won’t use it to call you?” She countered with her familiar sarcasm.

Steve rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean, Toni,” he retorted back, but god, just by saying her name could send warmth throughout his whole body.

“I know, Cap. I was only kidding.”

Steve was glad that despite the two years of being separated and almost no communication with each other, they easily fell back into their easy, familiar banter.

“Not that I’m not pleased that you called, but why did you call, Toni?" he inquired curiously.

Toni huffed through the phone line, "I wanted to hear your voice. Is that a problem?" Steve could clearly imagine the pout on Toni’s beautiful face now.

A fond smile found its way on his lips.

“Of course not,” he answered.

"Good."

Steve couldn’t helped but to imagine that he’s back in the tower’s rooftop with Toni. He lifted his blue eyes and stared out into the heavens.

"Toni?"

"Hmm?"

”Seriously, why did you call?”

There was an agonising pause between them, and Steve felt like he waited an eternity before he heard Toni took a deep breath.

“I love you, Steve.”

Time stood still. His heart beat faster, and he had a hard time breathing.

“I—...”

_Toni... loves him._

_She loves him._

He could hear muffled movements from the other line, and Steve was sure that Toni is fidgeting. She has a habit of doing that whenever she’s feeling nervous or agitated. But the sudden confession caught Steve off guard that left him speechless.

“Dammit, Rogers, I just confessed my feelings to you. Don’t you think it’s a common courtesy to response or something?” Toni mumbled in displeasure for the lack of Steve’s response, her annoyance wafting from the phone line.

“What was I supposed to say when you suddenly say things like that.” Steve began, after finally having found his voice. His whole face is turning into bright color red. Against the cool night Wakanda air, his face felt so hot.

“Do _you_ love me, too?”

“Of course I love you, Toni. God. I’ve loved you for a very long time.” Steve said it automatically and full of conviction. Like, not loving Toni is most absurd thing to do.

He heard her laugh lightly, not the way to insult him but the way that she’s glad to hear his answer. “Good,” she said, pleased.

The urge to see her, to wrap her in his arms, to kiss those pinkish lips, to say that he loves her personally was too much for Steve to handle. “I want to see you—,”

“I’ve got to go, Steve.”

_What?_

“No!” Steve begged, he stood on his feet in haste. “Please, don’t go, Toni. _Please_. I want to see you.”

Curiously, Toni voice sounds so far away. “Steve, there is something I need to do, but before that, I called to tell you how I really feel. I didn’t want to leave without saying that I love you.”

 _Oh god._ That sounds like a good bye. “Toni, please...” Steve begged, pleaded through his welling tears. He clutched the phone imagining it as Toni’s calloused yet soft hand. “I love you so much. Don’t— don’t go.”

“I love... you too... Steve... I’m so—... sorry...” Toni’s voice broke. Like it was on static.

”Toni...?”

_Tut. Tut. Tut._

“No...”

Steve immediately redialled Toni’s number.

_The number you have dialled is currently unavailable. Please, try again later._

“Toni, god damn it!” He redialled again.

_The number you have dialled is currently unavailable. Please—_

And again.

_The number—_

“TONI!”  
**.  
.  
.**

“Steve!” Natasha’s face was the first thing he sees the moment he snapped his eyes open. “It’s just a dream,” she added, offering a bottled water.

It was only then he realised that he’s gasping and crying at the same time. His heart was pounding hard and he’s having a terrible headache right now. “Nat...” he mumbled, ignoring the water offered to him. That was all just a dream. “Oh god...” _but it looks so goddamn real._

Natasha helped Steve to sat upright on the sofa when Sam entered the living room. He’s wearing grim expression.

“Hey, you gotta see this,” Sam turned the television on.

Steve’s eyes grew wide while reading the words displayed on the television.

**BREAKING NEWS: AN UNKNOWN SPACE SHIP APPEARED IN NEW YORK! TONI STARK: MISSING!**

Toni Stark... _missing..._

”Oh god... oh god...” was the dream some kind of premonition? He felt his vision swayed.

_No._

Toni is not– she’s safe.

She’s safe, Steve was sure of it.

And then, the flip phone started ringing.

Seeing Toni’s name appeared on the phone’s tiny screen, hope blossomed in Steve’s chest. He answered the call as quickly as he can, but his heart sank when he heard a different yet familiar voice from the other end of the line.

“Steve? Toni is gone,” that was the only words he heard from Bruce.

Steve couldn't breathe. Natasha and Sam were saying something to him, but he couldn’t hear them. Someone snatched the phone from him, but he didn’t give about it. His knees gave out and he knelt on the wooden floor, grieving.

“Toni...”

_“I love you, Steve.”_

He could only think of one thing as thoughts rushed through him: Will he ever got the chance to personally hear Toni say those three words?

Regrets. How he regretted not telling her that he loved her.

The pain in his heart was intensifying, and he struggled not to let the tears flow down.

_“TONI!!”_

**The End**

**.  
.  
.**

_Oh wow, why did I do that to Captain Snarky-pants?_

_Summary can be found[here](https://pin.it/7bsirkmhdeuosd)!_


End file.
